


Together and Alone

by RandomNoodleDish



Series: Dream SMP One Shots and stuff :) [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Character Study, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Poor Friend, am i excusing him? no., am i rationalizing Dream? possibly., listen guys I just saw january 6th and i'm like...yes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-09
Updated: 2021-01-09
Packaged: 2021-03-12 20:07:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28641210
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RandomNoodleDish/pseuds/RandomNoodleDish
Summary: Set in the aftermath of Jan. 6th Dream wanders off for some alone time. Ghostbur decides to join him.
Series: Dream SMP One Shots and stuff :) [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2169417
Comments: 4
Kudos: 57





	Together and Alone

He had fun with Tommy after a while. Once he stopped fighting every word he said, spending time with his small nemesis was not terrible. He enjoyed watching the hyperactive child throwing his trident and was impressed with his near death water placement. But now, he was alone…again. The smell of gunpowder mixed with burnt trees. The ruins of Logstedshire stood in the distance. After destroying L’Manberg, he came back to this place out of habit.

His calloused hands brushed past the remains of tnret. Perhaps he went too far teaching him a lesson. He pursed his lips at the thought. No, it was to help Tommy understand that he should never, and could never, hide anything from him. It was Tommy’s fault that he was too stubborn to realize that Dream did everything to help him. Help him listen to Dream. Tubbo listened—long enough to get the discs— Punz listens, and Wilbur listened eventually. They know that Dream helps, that Dream does what is best for the server, and that Dream keeps the peace. Dream knows controlling the others ensures that the server is one big happy family. Tommy doesn’t understand this critical lesson. He never did. All Tommy understood were the discs, Tubbo, and L’Manberg. Now that L’Manberg and the discs were gone, maybe Tommy could understand now.

The pillar interrupted his thoughts. He walked toward the monument, the stale grass crunching beneath his feet. It was a mishmash of various materials towering towards the block limit. Across the small bay, you could see the remnants of the beach party. The moonlight reflected off of the black void of waves, fish popping out of the nothingness. His smile rubbed against the porcelain mask. TommyInnit was many things, but he was not self-centered. It was admirable. Even after his friends’ betrayal in his exile, if they could be called friends anymore, Tommy still welcomed them with open arms. He gave everything of value to save L’Manberg, but sacrifices are quickly forgotten in times of threats. The pillar with its obvious implications loomed over him now.

He tensed, feeling another presence watching him. Without looking away from the pillar, his fingers inched for his axe. He swung, his axe passing through the ethereal neck of Ghostbur.

“Boo,” Ghostbur deadpanned, eyeing the blade’s trajectory. Dream relaxed and lowered his weapon.

“Oh, it’s you. Sorry Ghostbur. I’ve had a long day, finishing L’Manberg and all,” He explained dismissively. Ghostbur pulled out a single blue, but instead of offering it to Dream, he fidgeted with the material, picking off tiny pieces from it. Wilbur ignored his gaze.

“I understand,” Ghostbur nodded. His echoey voice had a noticeable lack of reverb. “I haven’t been feeling myself lately either.” Dream paused. He normally ignored the ghost—he was unnecessary to his plans—but something was different. They both looked at the camp’s debris with only the wind interrupting the silence.

“You know, I built Logstedshire. Tommy could never build such a nice place for vacation,” Wilbur continued unprompted, “One time in that ravine, he used diamond blocks as decorations, so tacky.” Dream raised an eyebrow. From what he heard about Ghostbur, he shouldn’t be this lucid. If it wasn’t for the fact that his form was translucent, Dream could have been talking to Alivebur.

“What, you don’t like cobblestone towers and oak?” Dream chuckled with a wry smirk that matches his mask’s. “Did you see Tommy’s house near Techno’s? It was terrible.”

Wilbur smiled sadly, “Yes. I tried my best with him.” Silence again. The oily waves crashed softly against the shore. He could hear his own breaths behind the mask. At this point, he would normally leave the normally annoying spirit, but he was exhausted by today’s destruction. He would never admit it, but he wanted the company. Dream put the ax back into his inventory and sat down on the grass. Wilbur softly joined him, the grass below him not reacting to the movement.

“Do you remember the time you tried to kill me?” Wilbur asked suddenly, watching the clouds roll over the stars.

Dream replied nonchalantly, “I tried to kill you many times. Be more specific.”

“I mean me, not Alivebur. I walked out in the snowstorm remember?” The stars slowly faded as they were consumed by the inky darkness.

He hummed a yes. It was necessary; they never could know about the beach invitations. Dream had to intervene to keep Tommy from forgetting the lessons he learned, and that meant the ghost had to go.

“Have you ever been shot by a fire arrow?” Wilbur’s eyes were hard set on the clouds. Dream frowned, but the engraved smile didn’t betray his demeanor. He paused with phantom memories of pain. His green hoodie scratched against his scars as he turned towards the ghost.

“Yeah.”

“It feels like that you know?” Wil’s voice lilted, “A hundred droplets hitting me every second. Rain used to make me happy…Snow did too.” The blue crumbled to the earth, staining his fingers. “That’s why I remember it, the happiness you know? But now it burns me. Everything that I have, no had, built burns. My happiness burns me. I am engulfed in flames.” He slammed his hands against his face, dragging them down with blue dye following.

There were no more stars in the sky. Dream stared at the ghost’s display of emotion. He couldn’t reply to this. He didn’t know how. Wilbur knows that everything was necessary, for the server, right? If he wants to be a part of the family, then sacrifices had to be made. And Dream sacrificed the most out of everyone. He sacrificed companionship. At best people tolerated him, like Techno’s philosophy of mutual interests. People saw him as this…villain, a vicious manipulator behind the scenes. Maybe that was true. But at least he can provide for the others what he never had. One day they will all understand. And thank him. Perhaps that’s why he is listening to the ghost, he mused. It reminded him of friendship, or at least, what he saw friends do for each other. This is what friends did, right? Listen. That’s all he wanted the others to do for him.  
Wilbur reached in his pocket, panicking when nothing came out.

“No no no no,” he muttered. He stood up shaking and placed an enderchest down. Since when did Ghostbur carry an enderchest? Dream stood up and glanced into the glowing obsidian, looking for what Ghostbur could want. “It’s gone!”

“What is?”

“My blue! It’s gone! That was the last one!” Ghostbur sobbed. He slammed the chest shut.

“Can’t you just… I don’t know. Summon more?” Dream offered.

“That’s not how this fucking works!” He snapped back, “It was blown up in L’Manberg today, Dream!” He finally faced Dream head on, eyes black as flaming coals. Not that Dream spent much time with Ghostbur in the first place, but he had never heard him so angry before. He doubted he ever heard Alivebur this angry either.

Dream hesitated, “The blue, you give that to people when they are sad? Are”—reading people’s emotions had never been his strong suit— “Are you sad Wilbur? Is that why you need the blue? Because L’Manberg is gone?”

“No,” He sighed, “I mean yes, but that was normal for my blue.” He began pacing up and down the walkway. He started rubbing his stained hands.

Dream smiled when he realized he could actually help him. He started digging around his inventory, explaining excitedly, “Wait! That sheep, Friend. Friend can give you more blue. Let’s go find him!” Dream needed a break from these emotions. They were beginning to rub off on him. “Here, I’ll even use my admin powers to locate him. I’ll grab my—”

“Friend’s dead.” Dream looked up at the specter. What once were printed stains of blue now freely flowed as Wilbur cried blue.

“What?”

“Phil killed him in the bombings today. He knew Friend was in his house!” Wilbur clenched his fists, sinking to the dirt.

“He has infi—”

“Stop,” softly sobbed Wilbur, “stop stop stop.” Dream wasn’t sure if he should come closer to the ghost or back away. He was unstable and therefore a potential threat. He pulled out his ax quietly. Wilbur heard it, but didn’t flinch from the glowing blade. “And,” the ghost continued, “everyone lost what they had in that town. I told Phil this, and you want to know what he told me? He told me that maybe I’d understand one day.” He gripped his faded yellow sweater tightly, trying to hug himself.

Dream felt frozen in place. It was only darkness surrounding them. Long gone was Logstedshire, the beach, or even the tower. Right now, the only things that existed were a porcelain mask and a ghost.

“Dream.”—Ghostbur’s eyes, now a sea of blue, searched into the mask—“What did I do wrong when I was alive?”

Dream was never good with emotions, but from guessing from he saw others do, he kneeled in front of the ghost and cautiously put a hand on his shoulder. Wil leaned into the contact, like it was the only thing keeping him from evaporating. “Nothing. You did what you had to do.”

“And you do what you have to do.” Wilbur finished with a half smile, as if he remembered everything. A bit of blue dripped onto his hoodie. He didn’t care.

“Yeah,” he admitted breathlessly.

“That’s what I always liked about you Dream. You never claimed to be the hero of the story”—Wilbur reached out and patted the mask lightly— “and that’s okay.”  
Dream pulled back and sat down next to him. He grabbed a nearby stone and began sharpening his ax, his hands fidgeting. The stars were returning from the fluffy void. Ghostbur sniffled next to him. 

“You’re my friend Dream, right?”

“If you say so,” he responded warily.

“I want to come back”—Dream almost sliced his hand on the netherite—“I want to come back, and if Alivebur hates you… I wanted you to know that you, you’re alright.”

“I’m not going to try and stop you, if it is possible,” Dream replied, “But, if Alivebur becomes a problem, I won’t hesitate to bring you back.”

“Who knows? Maybe you’ve already had this conversation with a previous me. I wouldn’t remember,” Ghostbur smiled sweetly, “So, I guess you don’t know how.” He plucked a nearby wildflower; the petals changing to a midnight blue. The moonlight started reflecting on the bay again.

“Never needed a reason to look it up. I wanted you to know”—Dream stopped himself— “Never mind.” Silence again. Dream returned to sharpening the blade. It was pointless—the ax was fully enchanted with Sharpness— but the repeated movement kept his mind off things. Wilbur started humming. It was L’Manberg’s anthem. The blade scraped with the rhythm. Once the song was over, he glanced over to the masked man.

“Dream!” he shouted cheerfully, “I missed you. Haven’t seen you in a week!” He quickly sheathed the ax before Ghostbur enveloped him in a hug.

“We were just”—he opened and shut his mouth before continuing— “Yeah. It’s been a while hasn’t it?” His mouth felt like ash. The connection was over. The weak feelings of someone understanding him vanished. The mask returned.

“Here have some blue! I have plenty. Calm yourself. Calm yourself!” Ghostbur continued with a smile, pulling some out of his pocket. Dream took it wordlessly. How did he get more? Did he just forget that he had more?

“I have to go. Thanks for the blue,” he stood up briskly, peeling the affectionate ghost off of him. After hearing Ghostbur’s distant goodbyes, Dream traveled into the forest alone.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright okay at first I was just doing a character study I swear. Now it's all angst central D:  
> Also I'm a slut for comments


End file.
